FSSAI public notice
Declaration of non-food-grade items in Bills of Entry
A plain-language ARFMA note on FSSAI public notice TIC-B02/1/2026-IMPORTS-FSSAI, dated 10 August 2026, concerning the NFG qualifier in ICEGATE and SWIFT.
Official notice and purpose
FSSAI states that many Bills of Entry for non-food-grade goods are being referred to it because the relevant HSN code can cover both food and non-food uses. Importers and customs brokers may declare the qualifier NFG in ICEGATE where the item is genuinely intended for non-food use. The qualifier enables the SWIFT system to route the Bill of Entry to the appropriate Participating Government Agency and avoid a non-applicable FSSAI referral.
The notice refers to a Customs circular dated 22 April 2026 and is addressed to food importers, importer associations, customs brokers, Custom House Agents and the concerned CBIC systems and customs authorities.
Open or download the supplied FSSAI public notice
What NFG does—and does not do
- Purpose: NFG identifies a genuinely non-food-grade item or non-food end use when filing the Bill of Entry under Single Window.
- Routing effect: the qualifier helps ICEGATE and SWIFT determine whether the declaration should be routed to FSSAI or another relevant government agency.
- No exemption for food: NFG must not be used for a food article or a good intended for human consumption merely to avoid FSSAI scrutiny or clearance.
- No change to food-import rules: food articles remain governed by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017.
How this concerns member mills
Most mills buying domestically produced machinery, packaging or ingredients are not directly affected. The notice is relevant where a mill imports goods itself or instructs a customs broker to file a Bill of Entry.
- Review imports under HSN codes that can cover both food and non-food-grade goods.
- Give the customs broker clear product specifications and documented end use before the declaration is filed.
- Use NFG only when the imported item and its intended use are truthfully non-food; retain specifications, invoices, purchase orders and end-use records supporting that position.
- If the goods are food, ingredients, additives, processing aids or otherwise intended for human consumption, follow the applicable FSSAI import-clearance process.
हिंदी में सरल व्याख्या
FSSAI की 10 अगस्त 2026 की सार्वजनिक सूचना के अनुसार, कुछ HSN कोड में खाद्य और गैर-खाद्य दोनों उपयोग की वस्तुएँ आती हैं। इसी कारण वास्तविक गैर-खाद्य वस्तुओं के Bill of Entry भी FSSAI को भेजे जा रहे हैं। जहाँ वस्तु वास्तव में non-food grade या non-food end use की हो, आयातक या customs broker ICEGATE में NFG qualifier घोषित कर सकते हैं। इससे SWIFT में सही सरकारी एजेंसी को routing करने में सहायता मिलती है।
- NFG केवल वास्तविक गैर-खाद्य वस्तु या गैर-खाद्य उपयोग के लिए है।
- खाद्य वस्तु को FSSAI जाँच से बचाने के लिए NFG घोषित नहीं किया जा सकता।
- सीधे आयात करने वाली मिल अपने customs broker को सही product specification और end-use record दे।
- घरेलू खरीद करने वाली सामान्य मिल पर इस सूचना का प्रत्यक्ष प्रभाव प्रायः नहीं होगा।
অসমীয়াত সৰল ব্যাখ্যা
FSSAI-ৰ ১০ আগষ্ট ২০২৬-ৰ ৰাজহুৱা জাননী অনুসৰি কিছুমান HSN code-ত খাদ্য আৰু অখাদ্য—দুয়ো ধৰণৰ ব্যৱহাৰৰ সামগ্ৰী অন্তৰ্ভুক্ত থাকে। ফলত প্ৰকৃত অখাদ্য সামগ্ৰীৰ Bill of Entry-ও FSSAI-লৈ প্ৰেৰণ হৈছে। সামগ্ৰীটো সঁচাকৈ non-food grade বা non-food end use-ৰ হ'লে আমদানিকাৰী বা customs broker-এ ICEGATE-ত NFG qualifier ঘোষণা কৰিব পাৰে। ইয়াৰ ফলত SWIFT-এ উপযুক্ত চৰকাৰী সংস্থালৈ সঠিক routing কৰিব পাৰে।
- NFG কেৱল প্ৰকৃত অখাদ্য সামগ্ৰী বা অখাদ্য ব্যৱহাৰৰ বাবেহে।
- খাদ্য সামগ্ৰীক FSSAI পৰীক্ষাৰ পৰা আঁতৰাবলৈ NFG ব্যৱহাৰ কৰিব নোৱাৰি।
- পোনপটীয়াকৈ আমদানি কৰা মিলে customs broker-ক শুদ্ধ product specification আৰু end-use record দিব লাগে।
- কেৱল দেশীয় বজাৰৰ পৰা ক্ৰয় কৰা সাধাৰণ মিলৰ ওপৰত এই জাননীৰ প্ৰত্যক্ষ প্ৰভাৱ সাধাৰণতে নাথাকে।
Important limitation
This is a plain-language extraction of the supplied notice, not customs or legal advice. The declarant remains responsible for the accuracy of the Bill of Entry. Confirm the current ICEGATE declaration requirements and supporting records with your customs broker or professional adviser before filing.